Cover for open top trailers



y 1, 1951 c. w. BOND COVER FOR OPEN TOP TRAILERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed Aug. 5, 1946 4 7 J m \kV r/ QM m a M H w 0 MWVK////////////IV///////////4 U 7/ a a g a 1 g g 0 J fi x, 7 H \v K O0 Lz 7 M 1 x a a K 1 o 4 Q o a a J 1 a. Q n 4 J7 Hume y 1, 1951 c. w. BOND2,551,239

COVER FOR OPEN TOP TRAILERS Original Filed Aug. 5, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Clay/an 5019?,4 mmvrozg! Patented May 1, I951'ClaytonTW.'jBond,-La.Porte, Ind.

Substituted;forabandoned application Serial No. I68&,396,7August;5,:1946. This applicationllune 119, 1950, Serial No;I168,875

"3 Claims. (Cl.- 296-137 .My. invention relates -.to improvements in.open .top trailer and it morev especially consists of the is structure Tdescribed .in the -.specification and pointed out in the annexed claims.

:The purpse-0f my inventionisto provide .a merchandising trailer vthat'has achinged -top divided into. two sections for instant. openingand closing; that will permit the rapidloading-and unloading of .thecontents through .the open top; that effectsgreatsavingsin the transferof goods over:theordinarycustom of loading andunloading through the rearend of the vehicleonly; and that provides an easy andefiicient-means-for raising. and lowering the two-section hingedtopthroughthe assistance of hydraulic cylinders or other means andinterconnectedoperating. mech- .anism.

With these and relatedeobjects. in view, lillus- .trate in. theaccompanying drawingsuch anin- .-stance of adaptation .as'will: disclosethe broad underlying principle .of the invention without limiting myself.to the .specific .detailsshown thereon and described herein.

This is a substitute for my application. Serial No. 688,396, filedAugust 5, 1946, nowabandoned. Fig. 1 is a transverse elevation partly insection looking toward the forward end of the trailer,

showing the operating mechanism with the curved top closed.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of one half of the top in its raisedposition.

Fig. 3 is axre'duced.isizeielevation of the closure .at tlie front endonwhich .the operating mechanism is located.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal elevationin section of a part of the'frontend'of the trailer.

Fig. 5 is a detached sectional elevation of a hingew'vjith thepartiallyishown top in its closed position.

Fig. dis a .viewsimilarto Figlii showing'the 1 hinge open and -the.rain. cover ibetweenltheiside wall and the hinged .portion.

Fi '7 is a longitudinal top plan view with parts broken away.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section of the sealing,

clamping and lockin "means throughout "the length of the trailer.

Fig. 9 isan elevation of Y a chord-member.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of end drainage.

Fig. 11 is an elevation of the stabilizing pins at each end of thetrailer.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the complete trailer.

In practicing my invention, I may use any form of equivalent structurethat the exigencies of varying conditions may demandwithoutdepartingrfromthe broad spirit of the invention.

A trailer that isequipped with my invention mayinclude the usualchassis. It has an enclosing body provided with a floor I on which thetwo -.side' walls'2 rest. On the top of-each side wall 'there is hingeda half-cover 3.

At the front endof the sides of the body there "is-a'permanent wall 4(Figs. 1 and 4) on which the hydraulic operating cylinders I aresecured. These;oylinders are supplied in any conventional 'mannertoproduce pressure (not shown), and an -"..operating valve I9 may beplaced wheremost i convenient and. easily accessible.

There is a lengthwise shaft 8' below therhinges 9 along both side walls.It. extends from'end to 1 end :of .the': side wallsz on which each shaft.has bearings. Each curved cover. has a plurality of .ccurvediiribs H3and acurvedicover 3 made ofply- .wood :or any other desired material....At dif- I ferent'points along the'length of each shaft there arecranks H" to which arms or links i2 1. are pivoted.

.Atttheifrontend ilof each shait'thereisran operating crank Mwhichis'attached by a connecting rodl5 to a. cylinder 1. The'cylindersare:pivoted at [6 so as .to avoid'the' use of a pivoted connecting rod(Figs. land 2). However, the pivoting of the cylinders is notalimitation. The pivoting is on .a plate l1, fastened on the end member4.

My invention avoids the use of expensive tarpauIinsthat ordinarily coveropen top trailers 1 to protect the goods from snow and rain.

'My invention is specially adapted to the handling-of generalmerchandise in intra and interstate traflic and it is not comparablewith sanitary covers usually used for wagons; or roofs as covers ofvehicles; or protection covers for trucks nor with hitched-on smalltrailers used for the :transportation of the tools, etc., required by 1groups of operatives at points distant from headquarters.

'The operating'mechanism meets all the requirements of efficientengineering and practical use.

In theoperationof the curved top-p0rti0ns-3, I =mayhave aseparate valve)for each hydraulic cylinder? to operatethelengthwiseshafts8 -sep- 3 8.Links 12 from such cranks connect them to the chord members 20 to whichthe links [2 are slidably attached by being pivoted to a sleeve [3 (Fig.9).

The water seal 5 includes a screw threaded clamp 2| for holding theparts 3 together.

At the upper meeting edges of each half of the roof there are lengthwisemembers 23 that extend throughout the entire length of the trailer roof.At the hinged edges of each section 3 there are similar lengthwisemembers 31, and also 28 (Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6). The members 23 are heldin close engagement with the packing 5 by reason of secured angularmembers 22, and the clamping screws 2| at desired points within thelength of said members. One or more padlocks 24 may be fastened to theparts 22.

At each trailer end the parts 4 and 6 are provided with a drainagechannel 25 (Figs. 3 and These channels empty into vertical openings 25formed within the sidewalls 2. These openings extend through the floorof the vehicle and afford complete drainage. To hold the parts 4 and 6permanently in place corner-brackets 21 (Fig. 10) are provided.

There are a number of chord members 20 secured to members 23 and 31 foreach half of the roof. On these members there are slides l3 pivotedlyattached to links I2 and cranks H which together are halves of the roofwhen actuated by the shafts 8. If desired stops 29 may limit the endwisemovements of the slides 13. The floor of the trailer may be extendedforward at 30. From this a hitch 3| will connect it to an automobile forpulling the trailer.

The main lengthwise shafts 8 have bearings 32 that are secured to theside walls of the trailer. There is a crank M at the front end of eachshaft. In order that the two hinged halves of the trailer roof may bestabilized, a bracket 36 is provided (Fig. 11). This has a flangedportion 35 from which pins 33 project upward. These pins pass throughtubular inserts 34 that are driven into holes formed in the members 23.The pins 33 serve as dowels to guide the meeting edges of the coversinto engagement so as to hold the two halves securely closed at thefront end 4 and the rear end 6 of the trailer body.

In order to seal the joint between the curved portions 3 and thesidewalls 2 a narrow width flexible sheeting 39 is used (Figs. 5 and 6)to cover the joint throughout the length of the member 31 and thesidewalls 2. The cover 40 laps over the portion 39 to cause rain waterto flow over the flexible strip 39 without entering the hinged joint 9.When the curved halves are raised as shown in Figs. 2 and 6 the flexiblepart 33 is slightly bulged out at 38 without injury.

The loading and unloading of the trailer is usually done rapidly throughthe opening formed between the raised portions 3. If desired the closure6 at the rear end of the trailer may have its lower portion l8 hinged tothe floor so that the closure 6 may be opened as required.

What I claim is:

1. An open top trailer which comprises a chassis, a body on the chassishaving a removable rear end, a fixed front end with attached sides, a

moved to raise and lower the two curved-half-top hinged at the upperedge of each side of the body, a separate lengthwise shaft for each halfportion of the top, bearings for the shafts located near the top edge ofeach side of the body, a crank at the front end of each shaft, means foroperating said cranks independently of each other to raise and lower thetwo halves of the roof independently of each other, a plurality ofseparate cranks on said shafts in addition to the crank at the front endof each shaft, a plurality of chord members supported on and beneatheach half of the cover, a slidable member on each chord, pivotedconnecting links extending from the said plurality of separate cranks tothe sliding members on the chords for raising and lowering the curvedroof members, and waterseal linings covering the meeting edges of thecurved tops and the adjacent upper edges of the sides of the body.

2. An open top trailer which comprises a chassis, a body on the chassissaid body having a removable rear end, a closed front end, sides, and anopen top, a pair of curved top closures hinged to the upper edges of thesides, an operating shaft on the inside surface of each side of the bodynear its top edge, bearings for each shaft at its ends, means foractuating the shafts independently of each other, a chord member securedto the under side of each top closure, sleeves slidable on said chordmembers, closure operating cranks on the respective shafts, connectinglinks pivoted to the said cranks and the sleeves on the chords, andwaterseal covering on the outside of the hinged edges of the topsthroughout their length.

3. A lengthwise curved top closure formed of two separate parts, a bodyhaving an open top portion, which supports the curved top closure on asupporting chassis, lengthwise shafts positioned beneath the lower edgesof the curved tops on the inside of the body, hinges between the upperedges of the body and the lower edges of the curved closures, closureoperating cranks on the shafts, chord members secured on the undersideof each half of the covered top, sliding sleeves on the chord members,links pivoted to the cranks and to the sliding sleeves on the chordmembers, and separate means for operating the shafts to open and closethe curved tops independently of each other.

CLAYTON W. BOND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,455,607 Debois May 15, 19231,865,925 Kunde July 5, 1932 1,965,452 Brown July 3, 1934 2,408,132Weeks Sept. 24, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,650 GreatBritain 1914 334.683 Great Britain Sept. 11, 1930

